Help with Fierce cold bore accuracy recommendations

[.300 Dakota]

No experience with Fierce, but if he needs an excuse to buy a new rifle...Giddy up!

Skimmed through this, so may have already been mentioned.
Did your buddy map his cold bore? One shot and a follow up on multiple day in order to gain confidence in where it would impact?
Did he do the same close to or at the ranges he missed the deer? (not just at 100 yards)

A ___ MOA rifle from the bench/comfortable prone shooting position on a range with bags, etc. is not the same as prone on a slope with a rock in your hip, sitting in a stand, kneeling, etc. Rifle may be capable, but we as shooters are the weak link in the equation.

Lightweight is good for carry, but not forgiving for long range. Have to decide what your parameters are. I have a sub 8 pound 6.5SAUM that is great for woods, but not so much at the longer ranges. FOR ME anything 9.5 pounds or so can get it done out a good ways.
I have also had difficulty with the lighter rifles and heavy bullets. May just be user error, but I think the torque on the barrel does something to me . There is a reason sniper rifles weigh a ton...

Thanks, and no, he hasn't mapped anything yet, but after we started talking about it, both of us will change some range rituals. I do completely understand about the difference in setups affecting the shot. It's good to practice as many scenarios as possible - mainly to make sure your grip, head position, steadiness, and trigger squeeze are always the same.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Thanks, and no, he hasn't mapped anything yet, but after we started talking about it, both of us will change some range rituals. I do completely understand about the difference in setups affecting the shot. It's good to practice as many scenarios as possible - mainly to make sure your grip, head position, steadiness, and trigger squeeze are always the same.

YUP.

When shooting iron sights. I would notice a difference and had to adjust elevation/windage when going from sitting to kneeling. Everything has affects...

 

[Bullmark]

I've found that cold "boy" accuracy has been responsible for more of my misses than anything having to do with equipment.
He could apply the same "throw money at a problem" theory that I used for years when I played a lot of golf. My swing left a lot to be desired, but I was convinced a new club, or grips, or different shafts, etc., would fix things. The one thing that usually did happen was at least some short term improvement......then back to the same old same old.
All jokes aside I have learned a lot from the comments. For the first 20yrs of my serious hunting My shots were never longer than 40-50yds.....I only Bow hunted. But for the last 10 I've did a lot more rifle hunting, but never where I could shoot the kinds of distances this forum considers long. For my hunting rigs, I'll foul the bore at the beginning of the season, and not clean again, unless something necessitates it, until the season ends. I've not noticed any difference with cold bore shots. However if I take enough shots in a short period for the barrel to heat up, the poi will shift. But the first, second, and third, even in rapid succession seem to be consistent.
Things get a lot more crucial when taking 700-800 yd shots and beyond....but my rifles are far more capable and consistent than me.

 

[Mike Matteson]

One thing is bench shooting and out in the field is another. If I am in stand I go through the act of how I would shoot in different direction, and how I would rest my rifle, I do the same with a bow too. Walking I watch for places I can shoot from and rest my rifle or place the forearm against a tree trunk to steady the rifle. A rock or something. Standing and shooting is the poorest way to shoot and not supported. I will go into a kneeing or sitting position if nothing else is available. Lying down doesn't work very will in brush. It is a more stable, but field of view can be limited.